New Investments to Continue to Work to End the Tragedy of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people 

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December 15, 2020 — Ottawa, Ontario — Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

Violence towards First Nations, Inuit, and Métis women, girls, Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual (2SLGBTQQIA) people is an ongoing national tragedy. We must continue to remember and honour those daughters, mothers, grandmothers, aunties and 2SLGBTQQIA people, who were taken from us, and the survivors and family and community members, whose lives have been forever changed. The Government of Canada, in collaboration with partners across the country, is continuing the critical work to end violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people. 

Together with families and survivors, provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners, steady progress is being made in the work to develop and implement a distinctions-based, regionally relevant, and accountable National Action Plan in response to the issues raised in the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

The Government's recent Fall Economic Statement builds on these efforts through a proposed investment of $781.5 million over 5 years, starting in 2021–22, as well as $106.3 million in ongoing funding to address systemic discrimination against Indigenous peoples and expand efforts to combat violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people.

This proposed investment includes:

• $724.1 million to launch a comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategy to expand access to a continuum of culturally relevant supports for Indigenous women, children, and 2SLGBTQQIA people facing gender-based violence. This strategy will support new shelters and transition housing for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples across the country, including on reserve, in the North, and in urban areas;
• $49.3 million to support the implementation of Gladue Principles in the mainstream justice system and Indigenous-led responses, in order to help reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in the criminal justice and correctional systems; and
• $8.1 million to develop Administration of Justice Agreements with Indigenous communities to strengthen community-based justice systems and support self-determination.

Since 2015, the Government has been working with partners to address the systemic issues that have contributed to the national tragedy of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people. Early and ongoing federal actions have been through a continuum of federal programs and initiatives that are aimed at supporting co-development of the National Action Plan, expanding critical supports to make communities safer for Indigenous women and children, and addressing systemic discrimination against Indigenous Peoples. Today, the Hon. Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations highlighted the following investments:

• $35 million over six years, and $6 million ongoing for Indigenous and 2SLGBTQQIA organizations to continue to consult with their members and ensure the National Action Plan remains accountable and evergreen;
• $542 million in funding to support First Nations, Inuit, and Métis engagement to exercise jurisdiction over child and family services and advance the implementation of the Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families;
• $44.8 million over five years to build 12 new shelters, which will help protect and support Indigenous women and girls experiencing and fleeing violence. The government will also provide $40.8 million to support operational costs for these new shelters over the first five years; $10.2 million annually ongoing; $1 million a year ongoing to support engagement with Métis leaders and service providers on shelter provision and community-led violence prevention projects for Métis women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people;
• $21.9 million in funding over three years, beginning in 2020-21, to continue to work with provincial and territorial governments and Indigenous community organizations to extend the operation and services of Family Information Liaison Units across Canada;
• $6 million over three years in support of the Moose Hide Campaign Development Society;
• $10 million in further funding (announced in April, 2020) for Indigenous Services Canada's (ISC) Family Violence Prevention Program (FVPP); and
• $6.2 million in funding over five years, and $1.2 million ongoing to renew Public Safety Canada's Aboriginal Community Safety Planning Initiative (ACSPI).

These measures build upon the work being done from coast-to-coast-to-coast on the development of the National Action Plan with all provinces and territories, Indigenous leadership and grassroots organizations. The Government of Canada would like to recognize the ground-breaking work of the National Action Plan working group structure. The Core Working Group and the over 100 Indigenous women involved are co-developing an effective and accountable National Action Plan whose implementation will address the systemic factors contributing to the violence towards Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people. 

The Core Working Group, comprised of Indigenous women leaders and federal, provincial and territorial officials, have been working closely with the National Family and Survivors Circle (NFSC) and sub-working groups to ensure that the National Action Plan is based upon the expertise and lived experience of First Nation, Inuit, Métis, Urban, 2SLGBTQQIA from every part of Canada. The Federal Government is committed to continuing to support these leaders by ensuring a truly whole-of-country response to the National Inquiry's Final Report that sets out a clearly defined path forward to put an end to this tragedy that will be accountable for results.

Canada is inspired by the comprehensive and 'whole-of-Yukon' Action approach –set out in the Changing the Story to Upholding Dignity and Justice: Yukon's MMIWG2S+ People Strategy that was released last week. The Government of Yukon is the first of the provincial and territorial partners to  release a strategy in response to the Final Report of the National Inquiry into MMIWG.The involvement of federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners is ensuring that we get this right for the survivors, families, and loved ones.

Today on the fifth anniversary of the Final Report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, we are grateful for the ongoing advocacy and advice of families and survivors and are reminded that the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was a direct response to the Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action 41.

We must end the systemic causes of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people, to honour the spirits and memories of those lost and to protect future generations.